fred67

So... what's going on? Big Ben's Page is dated from January, 2013: "Please check back for further updates in the coming months." Is 11 of them enough to wait to nag? And then ME Models just ran out and hasn't made any more available. I understand they run up against QC issues, which is understandable... but frankly, those ME Model rails worked great for me, I don't understand what the problems could be. Were there any other alternatives out there? Anybody with any news about Big Ben and ME?

I was actually coming to EB right now to look to see if they did this again this year... I saw there was a LEGO VIP event on the 23rd in the catalog we received this week, but unlike the past two years, I did not specifically receive an invitation for the early special event. Bummer... but then again, I probably spend about 1/5 as much on LEGO this year as last.

Honestly, unless you want a whole bunch of Bilbos and Gollums, ordering those kinds of pieces off of Bricklink seems to make a whole lot more sense... throw in a few BURPs to make building the mountain go faster. They may seem a bit pricey, but when you add up all the slopes needed to make something that big, it's a bargain. Even if you don't like them, you could probably buy hundreds of slopes off of Bricklink for what a few of those sets would cost. You can buy over 260 of them from one of the stores I'm looking at for 8 cents each (in light bluish gray).

Pretty neat article... seems fairly accurate, except the first minifigures didn't have articulated arms and legs like the one shown in that picture. I also don't get how the hollow stud helps prevent choking. That makes no sense to me, so if someone knows, please explain it. They also missed some interesting facts, like when and why they started using "fleshies." EDIT: for anyone that cares, the first figures, according to brickset, were released in 1975, interesting page here.

Finally got to a five below, and could not find them. John's Creek, GA, if anyone else is around that area. Will have to find another store.

Nice! I was expecting vipers and cylon fighters... I was pleasantly surprised. Great job!

Wow. Some of you should peruse the "Buy, Sale, Trade and Finds" and "Bazaar" forums. You never know what might come up.... bazaar doesn't come up if you just view new content (which is what I do when I come here), you have to actually go look there. I started in LEGO with trains, pretty near the end of 9V, and didn't know it... I started investing a little in 9V and then, one day, it was just gone. Had I known, I'd have gotten a lot more before it disappeared. I also love the modular buildings, but the first one - Market Street - I thought was just ugly. Had I known it was only the first of a series of great models, I'd have gotten one. Now it's too much.

Wow. Is it just me, or has this thread really died down? It's not like CMFs aren't as popular as ever... I'm surprised at the lack of action here. So here's my deal: for the time being, I'll offer 3 for 2 trades. The link to my CMF post is in my signature. EDIT 11/18... a whole week, and no takers for 3 for 2? OK... offer rescinded from lack of interest.

Never mind.

Is it all over, or just stores near you?

sorry, sale's over.

Where are you moving from/to? Local options might be important. In the U.S. there is a company called "Pods," but they do service Canada, Australia, and the UK. You pack your own shipping container, they ship it. Unless their vehicles are in an accident or something, they will keep it upright like any shipping container. That doesn't mean the ride won't be rough, but it gives you something to start with (obviously you could pack a LOT in one, it IS a shipping container). Otherwise I'd custom build a wooden crate for it, and pack the hell out of it with foam peanuts or something. 96x96 studs is somewhere around 30x30 inches... that shouldn't be that bad. There are also custom shippers... probably expensive, and I don't know about international/overseas. Again, I suggest that your to/from locations are important.

No, I'm not kidding because I never suggested it.... as I've repeated over and over.There's a thread for 'missing' mini figures already (ones you'd like to see TLG make). I just thought it would be interesting what historic figures would be instantly recognizable as the individual, given minifigure lack of detail, and was interested in what people from around the world would say because I realize it would vary by region and country. There's more reasons than the obvious they don't do individuals... this series is a special case.

Right... and I'm not suggesting figures for TLG to make. I don't expect them to make individuals, especially having ones that gained their notoriety from being brutal homicidal maniacs. I guess, if I could ask it more simply, is what people thought would be individuals that, given the simplicity of the figure in a minifigure form, would still be recognizable as the individual and not generically. I realize some of them are culture centric, which makes it even more interesting to me to hear what people from around the world might come up with.

Then it's not the lamp you should be worried about, it's the type of bulb. You want a gentle light, but that may make it hard to distinguish between certain colors. So you essentially need to choose between soft, bright, and daylight bulbs. You may also want to consider that fluorescent bulbs might harm your LEGO with UV light, while incandescent and LED bulbs won't. But your problem is the bulb, not the lamp - you can get any lamp that takes a standard bulb for a very cheap price.

Hey... thanks for the posts. As I mentioned, I wouldn't say these figures are eficable or do-able, just wondering what people around the world felt would be recognizable individuals. I would never suggest they make a Hitler figure! Just that he'd be recognizable. I think Napolean would work! Thanks for that. I'm not sure that Jesus would come across as Jesus unless he had the thorny crown or something. I'm also not sure Queen Victoria would come across as anything but a Queen. Yes, but we're talking about who would be recognizable. Buddha is an interesting one. A friar would be cool (I would also like the protestant Pilgrims to the U.S.), but they are really generic, and there's already a thread for "missing" minifigures. I thought maybe Gandhi... Elvis would work, but I was thinking earlier history, as I said... pre 1950, although that's a fairly arbitrary date, I suppose. Einstein would definjitely work. Again, just wondering who, historically, would be recognizable as an individual. I realize people from other countries might not get George Washington or Benjamin Franklin, that's partly why I thought this would be an interesting discussion. I wouldn't be able to tell Queen Victoria or Elizabeth from any other Queen minifigure, nor Henry the VIII, although a really fat king figure might help. Well... Sax Player is fictional (Blues Brothers?) unless there is someone in particular you think he represents? I'm not sure about the others... the Thespian, for example, might be a character from a Shakespeare play, but not Shakespeare himself (as evidenced by the new figure, no?) And who is the Roman Emperor? Ceaser or Nero or someone else? I'd add the Egyptian Queen was supposed to be Cleopatra, especially given the snake, but is it not possible to be Nefertari? They've done a great job at making them ambiguous, which is great because it makes them more generic.... until Lincoln.

AAHHH!! What the heck is that supposed to be? Like an old piece where some three year old had to draw a new face? Someone pointed out the smart phone has an Octan app... is he supposed to be some kind of tool of corporate masters? Hidden meaning?

So now that we series 12 will include a Lincoln figure (we can debate as to why... and I don't know why I want one, but I do - maybe two or three. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter MOC anyone?), I mused in the CMF Series 12 thread about other possible figures. It could be argued that we've already gotten some - Cleopatra and Ceaser, for two, but even though I think they might specifically be those people, they weren't officially called that, and they could very well be considered in a more generic way, and you could make a an ancient Roman MOC with that figure and easily call him someone else... could be Ceaser, could be Nero, could be anyone; or a an ancient Egyptian MOC with the Pharaoh, mummy, and Egyptian woman and just call her the "Queen." But with Lincoln, we're getting down to truly specific, instantly recognizable individuals. I wouldn't mind seeing an American history sub-theme to CMFs, but know that wouldn't really go over well. Moreover, I can only think of two other instantly recognizable figures: Washington and Benjamin Franklin (especially if given a kite as an accessory). There are other worthy people - like Thomas Jefferson, but I think such a figure would come off as too generic, and he'd just be an early American aristocrat. But I got to thinking about what other historical figures that, not just being cool to have in LEGO, but would be instantly recognizable for who they were, even if needing a little context (like Franklin's kite). So what do you think? Again, this isn't supposed to be a thread about the viability of singling out specific individuals as CMFs, just a discussion about which ones you'd think would work. Since it's "historic," I'd limit it to figures from history prior to 1950. Being American I may not know how iconic some of the other historic personalities are from around the world, so now's your chance to educate me. Again, I'm not saying they should make these, but I'm just wondering who would be instantly recognizable as the individual they are. So my list is: George Washington Benjamin Franklin Adolf Hitler I would love to say people like "Geronimo," or King Henry VIII, but I think those figures would come off as too generic. I could take any King figure and call it King Henry, or the Tribal Chieftain and call him "Geronimo." Others I would think are cool would include Ghandi, Attila the Hun, Alexander the Great... but I don't think those figures would be instantly recognizable as who they are.

Well. I wanted to not like these so that I could stop spending money on CMFs, but unfortunately I like too many of them. I don't feel the need to be a completist with this series, but there are some I want just for parts. Unfortunately again, I have no doubt the ones I want will be the most difficult to find, with TLG's inane distribution of characters limiting the best ones to just two to a box. Of course, the Panda is needed if you're collecting the costumed figures. I am still planning a movie stage MOC to use those characters. I also will question the Lincoln character... why would he be popular? But I want one. Not sure why. Perhaps there is another clique of figures that isn't so obvious at first, and perhaps that might offend non-Americans... although there are, of course, a lot of threads running throughout CMFs, an nobody should be offended. But we have native Americans, the Statue of Liberty, and now Lincoln. I would suggest that, while similar to stereotypical sea captains in other countries, the CMF best represents the kind of New England Sea Captain that seems very familiar to Americans. While other figures are equally in place in other countries, a lot of them - the baseball player, the football player, the cheer leaders... are more often associated with the U.S. In addition to the gun-slinger, the gangster, the cowgirl, and others. Frankly, I think it would be cool in the future to see other historical U.S. figures... not just any one, but ones that would be very recognizable, like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin (whose accessory should be obvious). Or further, perhaps some pilgrims. I know it's not conducive to sales to single out specific historical figures, though. A country can have many judges, cops, graduates, natives, etc., but only one Lincoln or Washington. I would not limit it to the U.S., though... who should get the honors? That's a good thread for discussion, maybe. Ghandi? King George? Attila the Hun? Anyway, that's my defense of Lincoln as a choice. A few other figures would work well in a city layout - the construction worker, the I-don't-need-yet-another-cop, I love the Octan executive, definitely need a lot of that hair... I'm assuming it's new. I also want the Mexican and Shakespeare guy to go with their prior counterparts. No skull necessary - the first actor got that... and skulls are a dime-a-dozen, anyway. Anyway, that's my take... this is the first series I don't feel like I need to get complete. I only count two "must haves," and five or six "want-but-can-live-withouts." As always, everyone's taste differs, so I'm glad so many of you are happy with the selection. Unlike a lot of you, I look forward to the Simpson's series. That will certainly be a collection I need complete. So when does this come out? Probably January?

All the original themes get "reboots" every few years... it's been worse with castle, it's true, but they're all like that. On the upside, it's what allows someone to get a castle set, since a new one gets released every few years. Otherwise, the kids that missed it never get the chance. Castle has been particularly bad, though. I still contend fantasy was prematurely dumped because of the possibility of getting LOTR, even f it wasn't a done deal, and it's why we never got fantasy era elves, even though they were quite obviously 'on the map.'

Only just found this thread. The wife and I both like the show... Except they are rooted in fairy tale, I don't see how you can compare to Once Upon A Time (or the new spinoff - both of which we also watch). It can be a bit repetitive, they maybe didn't think the premise through. The initial idea was maybe good enough for a season. But like a lot of shows, it can still be fun to watch (House was pretty much exactly the same show every time, but I liked that one, too), or the ongoing multi-story line takes up enough to keep it interesting (the X-Files was brilliant at that). It's not our favorite show, though... but it's fun to watch.

I agree. If it weren't for the Blues Brother and my obsessive/compulsive disorder (not clinically), I might have stopped at 10. I am not looking forward to 12; but from here on out, if the CMFs are themed, I will only buy themes I like... that means that, out of the next three, the Simpsons are the only one's I'll buy. And that's a good thing. I'm the opposite... out of the three, only the Simpsons is appealing to me. I suppose I will wait and see, of course, and get some of the interesting ones - but I do not feel like I need to be a completionist anymore... In fact, I probably shouldn't have even gone for the Series 11 box - especially with the terrible distribution. But does seem crazy to me that they won't be intermixing generic CMF sets within those.I don't necessarily mind themes, but that means if you don't like the theme, you completely skip it, as opposed to liking a handful of the regular CMFs and then trying to complete the set. I don't think they can do this with any of the other licenses, though. I'd be all over LOTR CMFs, as well as Superhero ones, but I know better than to expect them. Ditto Star Wars; Harry Potter is dead (as a LEGO license, that is), and I'm not sure, even if it were possible (and I don't think it is), that Indiana Jones, POTC, or Toy Story have the diversity needed. Now, non-licensed themes could be good, but I don't like most of the themes. There's one in particular that I like the concept of, but not the execution, and so did not buy into it - Monster Fighters. Unfortunately they already did so many classic movie monsters in CMF, it would be redundant. I would probably skip castle and the other, newer themes (like Chima and Galaxy Squad). All in all, winding down CMF would be great for my wallet.

I don't know, but I don't mind the elderly being more represented in LEGO; it adds needed diversity to train and city layouts. Along those lines, the grandma and grandpa from the CMFs were nice additions, even if not particularly popular with the kids.

Since Series 3 I've been buying complete boxes on Ebay. I haven't been scammed, and have been happy enough. The ones I ordered were slightly over list (because I ordered late... like last week), but with free shipping it worked out better than buying locally with taxes. Aside from that, I hope people with duplicates/extras are perusing the CMF trading thread... I have a LOT of figures from most of the series, including complete sets from series 4 that I will trade for a variety of things. Now that I have them in hand, though, I'll go ahead and throw my two cents in about the series. The barbarian is OK, but I feel like I'm getting over these fighting figures... I don't know what to do with a barbarian, on top of Celtic warrior, Aztec Warrior, etc., etc., but they are great to complement each other in my display. The scarecrow - I really like the scarecrow, and I have some third party tree parts in fall colors that will go nicely with a scarecrow MOC; it's a pity there's only two. The crow on the hat looks terrible, though. The Bavarian women, evil mech, and clockwork robot are really only nice as complements to previous figures; the same is true of grandma, but I can at least see a MOC in her with red riding hood, wolf, and lumberjack. I will probably do a small 8x8 with both clockwork robots as bride and groom, though. The waitress is decent to add to a city layout.... some nice pieces with the skates and her hair, I guess, but I have to shrug over them. The tiki warrior is just damn cool... I have no idea what to do with it, though. The elf, gingerbread man, and yeti all score places on my Christmas city/train layout, so I'm really liking them... along with the CMF Santa (which is better than the ones that normally come with sets). I think I will have a small mountain to add the mountain climber to, also... six of them is just a stupid amount in the box, though. I'm really disgusted with the distribution. A side note on the Yeti - take away the stupid ice pop and he's actually formidable looking enough to make a nice bloody mountain scene with a couple of those climbers, so that's cool. The welder is cool, but six is a ridiculous amount, too. The mask is cool; the torch is fairly unique - would have been nicer to be able to attach a flame, though. Let's see... the lady scientist, which I really like; we need more serious women in these sets. I'm not one of those people whining about lack of female figures in sets, and given the demographic I don't think you necessarily need parity, but diversity is pretty hard in LEGO layouts, so female figures are always nice to get. The constable is neat, a nice addition to the number of policemen we've already gotten, but I don't know what to do with him. Then, of course, my favorite... the Blues Brother. Call him "Jazz Musician" all you want, he's obviously a Blues Brother. Having only two in a box is borderline criminal. I am desperately searching for more... I need at least three more (I don't need the Sax, though).